Printing and bronzing machine.



No. 841,685. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

I P. R. HARRIS. PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

7 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Q/Vi/Wwoow No. 841,685 PATENTED JAN; 22, 1907. I. R. HARRIS.

PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@M 1 11mm:

No. 841,685. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. F. R. HARRIS.

PRINTING AND BRON ZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904. v

' 7 SHEETS-SHEET a.

,No. 841,685. PATENI'ED JAN. 22, 1907.

P. R. HARRIS.

PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

No. 841,685. 7 PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. V F. R. HARRIS.

PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

(J1 yuan-tor, TIMI. Q H

No. 841,685. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. F. NBARRIS. PRINTING AND BRONZINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

q qmmamo zgdw F. R. HARRIS.

PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE,

I II 3 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, 1904.

7 SHEETSSHEET 7.

PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED R. HARRIS, OF NEVVYORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICANTOBAOOOCOMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

v PRINTING AND BRONZING MACHINE.

To all whmit it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRED R; HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county'of New York,-and State of. New York,have'invented certain new andous strip of paper or other suitablematerial matter for forming a succession of labels, wrappers, or otherarticles by printing a design on successive portions of the strip withsize or adhesive material and then applying bronze-powder or othersuitable metallic or colored powder'to the strip, so that the powderwill adhere to the size and show on the strip in the design in which thesize was printed on the strip.

The invention aims generally to provide an improved machine of thisclass, and especially to provide an improved bronzing mechanism,wherebythe bronze will be properly and evenly applied to the sizedportions of the strip and cleaned from the unsized portions thereof, andto provide an improved winding mechanism for rewinding the printed stripinto a roll.

To these ends the invention consists in various arrangements andcombinations of parts, as hereinafter particularly pointed out in theclaims.

A full understanding of the invention can best be given by a detaileddescription of a preferred construction embodying the various featuresthereof, and such a description will now be given in connection with theaccompanying drawings, showing such apre= ferred construction.

In said drawings, Figures 1 and 1 show such a preferred construction inside elevation. Figs. 2 and 2 show the machine in plan view. Fig. 3 isan enlarged detail side view looking in'the direction of the arrow 3 onFig. 2. Fig. 4 is a broken plan view of parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa section on line 5 of Fig. 4, showing the bronze-reservoir andapplying-roll. Fig. 6 is aview of the bronzing mechanism, partly insection, on line 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail Specificationof Letters Patent. Application filed November 1, 1904. Serial no.280.898.

Patented J an. 22, 1907.

view of the device for guiding the strip to the printing-cylinderlooking in the direction of the arrow 7 of Fig. 8. Fi 8 is alongitudinal sectional view of suc Fig. 9 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the strip-guiding device for guiding the strip as it leaves therinting-cylinder. Figs. 10, 11, and 1,2 are en arged detail views ofparts hereinafter described.

The machine will be described by following the course through themachine of the strip of paper or other material to be printed. The stripor web of paper w is preferably drawn from a roll supported in anysuitable manner by arms 10, from which roll the strip is drawn by a pairof continuously-driven feed-rolls 11, to which it is guided by asuitableguide 12. Beyond the continuouslydriven feed-rolls 11 the strip passesbetween guiding device.

a pair of intermittently-driven feed-rolls 13,

a take-up device, such as therising-and-falling roller 14, beingprovided between the feed-rolls 11 and 13. From theintermittently-rotating feed-rolls 13 the strippasses to the printingmechanism and thence between a pair of intermittently-rotatingfeed-rolls 15, driven in unison with the feedrolls 13.

Any suitable printing mechanism might be employed in connection withother parts of the invention for printing successive labels or otherdesigns on the strip with size or suitable adhesive material for holdingthe bronze.

The printing mechanism shown is adapted for printing, on successivelengths of a strip and comprises a continuously rotatingprinting-cylinder 20, the circumference of which is not equal to or aneven multiple of the length of such successive lengths of the.

strip and a cooperating impression-cylinder 21. The printing andimpression cylinders are driven at a surface speed equal to the surfacespeed of the feeding-rolls 13 and 15, and

the printing-cylinder is of a size such that blanks. Asshownflt is equalto the length of five blanks. The movements of the intermittentfeed-rolls 13 and 15 are timed, so that the strip will be advanced bysuch rolls during the time that the printing-surface a of theprinting-cylinder is coacting with the impression-cylinder 21 and thestrip will be held stationary during, the time that the cutaway portionb of the printing-cylinder is opposite the impression-roll. The firstlabel or other design printed on the strip at each rotation of theprinting-cylinder may thus be spaced from the last label or other designrinted by the previous rotation of the printmg-cylinder, exactly thesame as the labels printed by intermediate portions of thesurfaceta.

The size may be applied to the printingsurfaces by any suitable means. 1(Not shown.) The printing-cylinder is preferably provided with punches cfor forming a registering perforation in each of the printed lengths ofthe strip as printed, as is customary in similar machines.

The printing-cylinders and feeding-rolls may be driven in any suitablemanner. As shown, the printing and impression cylinders are geared torotate together and are driven from agear22 on the main drivingshaft 23by means of intermediate gears 24, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 1. The

feeding-rolls, as shown, are driven by a continuously-rotating shaft 25,which is driven .from the shaft of the printing cylinder through a shaft26, carrying at one end a beveled gear-meshing with a beveled gear 27 onthe shaft of the printing-cylinder and at the other end a beveled gearmeshing with a beveled gear 28 on the shaft 25. The feeding-rolls 11 aregeared to turn together and are,driven from the shaft 25 by means ofasprocket chain 29, turning on sprocketwheels on the shaft 25 and on theshaft of one of the rolls 11. feeding-rolls 13 are geared to turntogether and are driven from the shaft 25 by means of a stop-gearcomprising a mutilated gear 30 on the shaft 25, meshing with a pinion 31on the shaft of the lower roll 13, the mutilated gear being providedwith a concentric flange or face 32 for engaging the concave face of ablock 33, secured to the pinion 31 for holding the pinion and rolls 13against rotation, while the toothless portion ofthe gear 30 is oppositethe pinion. The intermittently-rotating feeding-rolls 15 are also gearedto rotate together and are driven from the rolls 13 by means of a rotaryshaft 34, which has a bev eled gear at one end meshing with a beveledgear 35 on the shaft of one of the rolls -13 and at the other end abeveled gear meshing with. a beveled gear 36 on a shaft which alsocarries a spur-gear 37, meshing with a gear on one of the rolls 15 fordriving said rolls.

Means are preferably provided for guiding The intermittently-rotatingthe strip as it advances to the printing device for the purpose ofpositioning the strip relatively to the printing-cylinder to insure auniform posit on of the printed matter with respect to one edge of thestrip even though the strip may vary slightly inwidth. For this purposethere is preferably provided such a guiding device as is shown in detailin Figs. 8 and 9, such device comprising a guideway formed of a plate40, having side flanges 41. -42, the space between whlch is slightlygreater than the width of the strip. At one side of the guideway andslightly In advance of the forward edge thereof is mounted abearing-roll 43 for engaging one edge of the strip. as it advances intothe guideway to press the other edge of the strip against theguiding-flange 41. Such bearingroll 43 may be mounted in any suitablemanner to secure the desired result; but I have found a substantiallyrigid mounting such as shown to answer well, the roll bein preferablyadjustable, as by means of a tl iumbscrew 44, for hearing with greateror less pressure against the edge of the strip or to accommodate stripsof slightly-varying widths. A pivoted bearing-plate 45 is preferablyprovided for holding the plate against the bottom of the guideway, saidplate preferably lying in an inclined position and ex tending forwardfrom its point of support, the'weight of the plate being usuallysuflicient to accomplish the desired purpose. There is also preferablyprovided a guiding and stripping device for uiding the strip asit leavesthe printing-cy inder and for preventing the strip from adhering to theprint ing-surface and being thereby carried -upward about theprinting-cylinder. For this purpose a device such as shown in detail inFig. 9 is preferably provided, such device comprising a guideway 47having side flanges 48 and a bearing-spring 49, carried by a rod 50, theend of which rod is supported in downwardly and rearwardly inclinedslots 51 in the guide-flanges 48, such bearing-spring being preferablyprovidedwith a small bearing-roll 52 atits forward end to run againstthe surface of the strip and being formed so that its rearward end willalso hear lightly against the strip. Such guiding device is located, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the bearing-roll 52 will engagethe-strip just after it passes the line of pressure between theprinting-cylinder and the impression-cylinder, the bearing-roll thusacting as a stripping-roll to prevent the strip from adhering to theprinting-surfaces.

From the feeding-rolls 15 the strip is advanced to the bronzingmechanism. Such mechanism comprises means for applying the bronze-powderto the strip and means for distributing the powder so as to cause aneven layer of thepowder to adhere to the parts of the strip to which thesize has been ap- ICC , senses plied by the printi' mechanism. The applying means may. e of any suitable construction, the preferred meansshown comprising a c'QntainingI-chamber -55for the ronze-powder, whchamber'niay be of cylindrical form, as shown, and a rotary brush 56,mounted in'the containing-chamber so that a portion thereof extendsthrough an opening in the lower side of the chamber. Adjustable plates57 and 58 are provided at either side of the brush-opening forcontrolling the amount of owder to be delivered by the brush. Therush-roll 56 is rotated slowly and preferably intermittently, and in theoperation of the machine the portion of the brush extending from thecontainingchamber 55 moves in contact with the surface of the strip a;as the latter is advanced beneath it, the strip moving over a suporting-plate 59, which extends beneat the brush-roll and beneath thedistributing devices, to which the strip advances after having had thebronze-powder applied to its upin accordance with the comprise aplurality of distributing-rolls, as'

per surface.

The distributing devices when constructed present invention 60 61 62 63,extending transverse y of the direction of movement-of the strip androtated to rub the surface of the stnp, preferably a ainst the directionof movement thereof, an two of said rolls 61 and 62 having their axes opositely inclined slightly in the direction of movement of the strip. Ithus provide a series of distributing-rolls having relatively inclinedaxes, and the axes of two of said rolls being oppositelyinclined to thedirection of movement of the strip, and by the use of distributing-rollsso arranged I am enabled to secure an even and uniform distribution ofthe bronze powder over the portions ofthe strip to which the size hasbeen applied. The distributing-rolls may be provided with any suitablerubbing-surface for operating with: a suitable light yielding pressureagainst the surface of the strip.

The distributing-rolls are shown as driven from a shaft 65, which shaftis continuously driven from the shaft 23 by means of a belt 66, turninon beltulleys on the two shafts. The distri uting-rolls '60 and 63 aredriven from the shaft 65 by means of belts 67 and 68, respectively, andthe distributing-rolls 61 and 62 are driven from the shaft 65 by meansof a belt 69, which runs over a pulley 70 on the shaft of the roll 61,thence under an idle pulley 71, thence over a pulley 72 on the shaft ofthe roll 62, and thence about a pulley on the shaft 65. Theapplying-roll 56 is given an intermittent rotary movement by means of apawl 73, carried by an oscillating arm 74, pivoted to swingconcentrically with the roll 56, which pawl en ages a ratchetwheel 75,fast on the shaft 0 said roll. The arm 74 is oscillated by means of'arod 7 6, ex-

ten

pawl 73 to vary the amount of movement of the roll 56 for each throw ofthe pawl.

The bronze ap lying and distributing devices are inclosed in a suitablecasing 78 to prevent the powder flying out in the air and or collectingthe powder which falls from the strip and from the distributing-rollers.The containing-chamber 55 is preferably adjustable vertically, as bymeans of set-nuts 79, so as to cause the applying-r0ll 56 to bear withgreater or less pressure against the surface of the strip, as may benecessary or desirable. The distributing-rolls are also preferably'ournaled in adjustable bearings, as shown.

he strip is drawn past the bronze a plying and distributin devices bymeans ofa pair of mtermittently-rotating feeding-rolls 80, said rollsbeing shown as geared together and driven in time with and at the samesurface speed as the feeding-rolls 13 and 15 by means of a belt 81 fromthe shaft of one of the feeding-rolls 15. After leavin the feeding-milsthe strip is drawn past the cleaning means for removing the surplusbronze powder from its surface and is then in the machine shown rewoundinto a roll for convenience and trans ortation. The strip is preferablyallowe to run slack between the feeding-rolls 80 and the cleaningmechanism and preferably on leaving the feeding-rolls 8O dro s into asuitable receptacle 85, in which t e slack may collect and from whichthe strip is caused to move past the cleaning mechanism.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for cleaning the surplus powderfrom the strip. The preferred means shown for this purpose, however,which forms a part of the invention, comprises a rotary drum 90, aboutwhich are arranged a plurality of cleaningrolls 91, 92, and 93, saidrolls having cleaning or dusting surfaces of any suitable material, suchas a suitable fur, and being positioned to brush the surface of thestrip as the latter is advanced about the drum. Such cleaningrolls arepreferably rotated to brush the surface of the stri in the directionopposite to the direction 0 movement of the strip on the drum, asindicated by arrows in Fig. 1. receptacle 94 is provided for each of'thecleaning-rolls for receiving the owder brushed from the strip, suchreceptac e being provided with edges 95 for scraping or combing thepowder from the rolls and being preferably adjustably mounted, asindicated in the drawings. Any suitable means may be provided forcausing the drum 90 to rotate and the IIO strip to advance about thedrum and past the cleaning-rolls. Preferably, however, the ro- 7 ablytating force is not applied directly to the drum; but the drum is causedto rotate with the strip by pulling means actingon the strip after itleaves the drum. In the construction shown the wind-up roll acts as sucha pulling means.

The drum 90 and cleaning-rolls are preferably mounted within a casing96, and a guide 97, having side guiding-flanges and a. pivoted plate 98for hearing on the top of the strip to prevent it from rising betweenthe flanges, is provided for guiding the strip as it advances to thedrum 90, an idle roll 99 also being preferably provided for bearing onthe strip between the guide 97 and the drum. Laterally-adjustableedge-guides 100 are also preferably provided for engaging the edges ofthe strip as it advances from the drum 90 to the wind-u roll. Thecleaning-rolls are shown as driven from the shaft by means of a belt 101turning on a belt-pulley 102 on the shaft 65 and a belt-pulley 103 onthe shaft of the cleaning-roll 92, the rolls 91 and 93 being driven fromthe shaft of the roll 92 by means of belts 1.04 and 105, respectively.

Any suitable rewinding mechanism may be employed. Preferably, however, Iprovide a shaft 110 for receiving and rotating a core 111, on which thestri is to be wound into a roll, and such shaft is rotated as from theshaft 65 by means of a belt 112, running on belt-pulleys 113 and 114 onthe shaft 65 and said shaft 110, respectively, at a speed sufficient totake up the strip as fast as it is delivered from the printing andbronzing mechanisms even at the starting of a new rollthat is, when theroll being wound is only substantially the size of the core 111. Thestrip-will thus be rewound faster than it is delivered from the printingand bronzingmechanisms, and means are provided for stopping the rotationof the Wind-up shaft whenever the slack between the bronzing and thecleaning -mechanisms has been taken up. T 0 permit the stopping andstarting of the rotation of the shaft 11 0 it is preferably driventhrough a suitable clutch connecting it with a constantly-rotatingmember. As shown, the hub of the belt-pulley 114 is mounted to rotatefreely on the shaft 110' and may be connected thereto by means of aclutch-sleeve 115, splined to slide on said shaft, and whichclutchsleeve may be moved into and out of position to engage the hub ofthe pulley 114' by means of a lever 116. Means are preferrovided forautomatically throwing said 0 utch to disconnect the shaftfrom thepulley 114 when the slack of the strip between the'bronzingmechanism andthe cleaning mechanism has been taken up. For this purpose a spring 120tends to throw the lever 116 to disconnect the clutch-sleeve from thehub of the pulley, such unclutching movement being prevented during thetime the shaft is to rotate by a latch 121, which engages the-lever tohold it against the pressure of the spring 120, which latch is connectedb a link 122 to an arm 123, carried by a shaft 124, which shaft alsocarries arms 125,between which a rod. 126 extends through the receptacle85, so that when the slack of the strip which lies beneath the rod 126is taken up the loop of the strip will engage and raise the rod 126,thereby moving the arms 125 upward, rocking the shaft 124 and drawingthe latch 121 back away from the lever 116, thereby releasing the leverand permitting it to move outward under action of the spring 120 tounclutch the shaft 110 from the pulley 11.4. By this arrangement whenthe lever 116 is thrown tostart the wind-up shaft rotating the stripwill be drawn from the rece tacle about the drum and wound on tl fe core1 1 1 and this operation will continue until the slack of the stripbetween the bronzing and the feeding mechanisms is so far taken up as toraise the rod 126, and thereb effect the unclutching of the wind-up shat from the pulley 1 14. The wind-up shaft will then remain stationaryuntil the clutch-lever 116 is again thrown inward to cause the shaft to,again rotate. Meanwhile the operation of the printing and bronzingmechanisms continuing the printed strip will be fed into the receptacle85 and accumulate therein until the cleaning and wind-up mechanisms areagain put into operation.

A tension or brake device is preferably provided for preventing themomentum of the drum 90 causing it to continue rotating after the stoping of the wind-up shaft 110, such brake evice being preferably anadjustable friction-clamp 130, engaging the end of the drum-shaft.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to theexact constructions and arran ements of parts as shown for the purposeof illustrating the invention and to which the foregoing description hasbeen mainly confined, but that it includes various changes andmodifications thereof within the claims. It will also be understood thatparts of the invention may be employed independently of other partsthereof or in combination with other cooperating parts.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination of means for printing withadhesive material on a strip of paper or other material, means forapplying powder to the printed strip, and a plurality ofdistributing-rolls for distributing the powder on the printed surface ofthe strip having their axes inclined relatively to each other in thedirection .of movement ofthe strip, substantially as described. 1

2. The combination of means for printing with adhesive material on astrip ofpaperor other material, means for applying powder to the printedstrip, and a pair of distributingrolls for distributing the powder onthe printed surface of the strip having their axes oppositely inclinedto the direction of movement of the strip, substantially as described.

3. The combination of means for printing with adhesive material on astrip of paper or other material, means for applying powder to theprinted strip, a plurality of distributing-rolls for distributing thepowder on the printed surface of the strip having their axes inclinedrelatively to each other in the direction of movement of the strip, andcleaning mechanism beyond said distributing-rolls for cleaning thepowder from the unprinted portions of the strip, substantially asdescribed.

4. The combination of printing mechana ism for printing on a continuousstrip of material, mechanism for applying powder to the printed surfaceof the strip, cleaning mechanism for cleaning the powder from theunprinted portions of the surface of the strip, said powder-applyingmechanism and said cleaning mechanism being separated so as to permitthe strip to fall slack between them, means for operating theprinting'and powder applying mechanisms to advance the strip at auniform speed, means for operating the cleaning mechanism to advance thestrip at a greater speed, and means for automatically interrupting theoperation of the cleaning mechanismcontrolled by the slack of the stripbetween the powder-applyin and the cleaning mechanisms, substantial y asdescribed.

rewinding ism at a greater speed, and means for auto-- maticallyinterrupting the operation of the mechanism controlled by the slack ofthe strip between the powder-applying and the cleaning mechanisms,substantially as described.

'6. The combination of printing mechanism for printing on a continuousstrip of material, mechanism for applying powder to the printed surfaceof the strip cleaning mechanism for cleaning the powder from theunprinted portions of the surface'of the strip,

said powderapplying mechanism and said cleaning mechanism beingseparated so as to permit the strip to fall slackbetween them, rewindingmechanism for drawing the strip past the cleaning mechanism, and meanswhereby the drawing of the strip past the cleaningv is advanced from thepowder-applying mechanism, and means for automatically interrupting theoperation of the rewinding mechanism controlled by the slack of thestrip between the powder-applying mechanism and the rewinding mechanism,substantially as described.

8. The combination with printing mechanism for printing on a continuousstrip of material, and mechanism for applyin powder to the printedsurface of the strip, 0 a drum, a plurality of cleaning-rolls arrangedabout the periphery of the drum, and rewinding mechanism for drawing thestrip about the drum and winding it into a roll, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence'of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRED R. HARRIS. Witnesses T. F. KEHOE, W. H. KENNEDY.

